The present invention relates to a mobile telephone having a back light function for: illuminating ten-key and a functional operation keys, including a navigation key for carrying out at least a vertical or transverse direction scroll and a selecting and determining operation, in an operation section and a display section; and serving to turn OFF a lighting back light after ten-key input or a key operation for a function operation is completed and a constant time elapses. More particularly, the mobile phone of the present invention has such a structure that only a back light in a necessary portion is turned ON according to an application to be operated so that an operation time of an internal battery is prolonged.
Conventionally, a mobile telephone having a back light function and serving to reduce power consumption through a back light as much as possible has been known in Japanese Publication Nos. Hei. 6-120864 and 11-284712.
For example, in Japanese Publication No. Hei. 6-120864, a plurality of light emitting diodes constituting a back light are provided and the power consumption of a battery is reduced in a power saving mode for turning OFF a half of the light emitting diodes in addition to a full lighting mode of a light emitting diode.
In Japanese Publication No. Hei. 11-284712, moreover, a back light key for carrying out the ON/OFF operation of a back light is provided in a housing section and the back light can be turned OFF by the OFF operation of a back light key, thereby preventing wasteful power consumption.
In Japanese Publication No. Hei. 6-120864, however, the conditions of a power saving mode for turning OFF half of a full lighting mode of a light emitting diode should be set and input by an owner, which is complicated. In Japanese Publication No. Hei. 11-284712, moreover, the housing section is provided with the back light key for turning ON/OFF the back light. Therefore, the back light key should be operated manually for back light control, which is complicated.
The invention has been made to solve such problems and has an object to provide a mobile telephone in which only a back light in a necessary portion is turned ON according to an application to be operated such as a non-voice information communicating mode, a voice information communicating mode or a game, thereby prolonging an operation time of an internal battery.
A first aspect of the invention is directed to a mobile telephone having a back light function for illuminating a ten-key and a functional operation keys in an operation section and a display section, causing the functional operation key to include a navigation key for carrying out at least a vertical or transverse direction scroll and a selecting and determining operation, and serving to turn OFF a lighting back light after a ten-key input or a key operation for a function operation is completed and a constant time elapses, wherein when a valid key and an invalid key are allocated to the navigation key and the ten-key corresponding to an application to be operated and the valid key is operated, only a first back light for illuminating the most neighboring part of the valid key and a second back light for illuminating the display section are turned ON. By such a structure, it is possible to prolong an operation time of an internal battery.
A second aspect of the invention is directed to the mobile telephone according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein a key for scrolling in the navigation key and a plurality of ten-keys to be used for dialing are allocated as the valid key corresponding to the application. By such a structure, the back light is turned ON for the operation of the valid key. Therefore, it is possible to prolong an operation time of an internal battery.
A third aspect of the invention is directed to the mobile telephone according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein a game is provided as the application, and the navigation key and the ten-keys to be used for dialing are allocated as the valid keys corresponding to contents of the game. By such a structure, a part of the ten-keys are operated as the valid keys in the manipulation of the game and the back light is turned ON for the operation of the valid key. Therefore, it is possible to prolong an operation time of an internal battery.
A fourth aspect of the invention is directed to a mobile telephone having a back light function for illuminating a ten-key and a functional operation key in an operation section and a display section, causing the functional operation key to include a navigation key for carrying out at least a vertical or transverse direction scroll and a selecting and determining operation, and serving to turn OFF a lighting back light after a ten-key input or a key operation for a function operation is completed and a constant time elapses, wherein when an application to be operated in a non-voice information communicating mode is site retrieval and a key for scrolling in the navigation key is operated, only a second back light for illuminating the display section is turned ON. By such a structure, in the case in which only the direction scroll in the navigation key is operated, only the back light in the display section is turned ON. Therefore, it is possible to prolong an operation time of an internal battery.
A fifth aspect of the invention is directed to a mobile telephone having a back light function for illuminating a ten-key and a functional operation key in an operation section and a display section, causing the functional operation key to include a navigation key for carrying out at least a vertical or transverse direction scroll and a selecting and determining operation, and serving to turn OFF a lighting back light after a ten-key input or a key operation for a function operation is completed and a constant time elapses, wherein a table for previously allocating a valid key and an invalid key to the navigation key and the ten-key is provided corresponding to an application to be operated, and furthermore, a valid/invalid key set operation section for indexing and setting the table is provided in the key operation section and is manipulated to previously allocate the valid key and the invalid key to be operated, and when the valid key is operated, only a first back light for illuminating the most neighboring part of the valid key and a second back light for illuminating the display section are turned ON. By such a structure, it is possible to prolong an operation time of an internal battery.
A sixth aspect of the invention is directed to the mobile telephone according to the first or fifth aspect of the invention, wherein the application is to be operated in a non-voice information communicating mode. By such a structure, the back light is turned ON for the operation of the valid key in the application in the non-voice information communicating mode. Therefore, it is possible to prolong an operation time of an internal battery.
A seventh aspect of the invention is directed to the mobile telephone according to the first aspect of the invention, the mobile telephone having a back light function for illuminating a ten-key and a functional operation key in an operation section and a display section, causing the functional operation key to include a navigation key for carrying out at least a vertical or transverse direction scroll and a selecting and determining operation, and serving to turn OFF a lighting back light after a ten-key input or a key operation for a function operation is completed and a constant time elapses, wherein when the ten-key or the functional operation key is operated, it is decided whether the key operation is the valid key or the invalid key, and if it is decided that the key operation is the valid key, only the first back light for illuminating the most neighboring part of the valid key and the second back light for illuminating the display section are turned ON. By such a structure, it is possible to prolong an operation time of an internal battery.